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N9. 27,788. PATENTED APR. 10, 1860.

G. H. PVAYMAN. BUTT HINGE,

nnirnn STATES PATENT carica.

GEORGE H. FAYMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BUTT-HINGE. L..

Specification of Letters Patent No2 A2'? ,7 88, dated -Aprl 10, 1860.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I-I. FAYMAN, of Washington city,.in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Butt-Hinges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription, reference being had to the acoompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents, in perspective, my improved hinge, as it appears when applied to the right side of a door or window.

p Fig. 2 represents a similar view of the same,

applied to the left side of a door or win ow. Fig. 3 represents a similar View of the saine, with the parts detached from each other, in order to show more clearly the details of its construction. Fig. L represents a horizontal transverse section through the saine, at the line w of Fig. l; showing the relative position of the parts when the hinge is opened to its greatest extent. Fig. 5 represents a similar section through the 'hinge when closed; and Fig. 6 represents a similar section through a loose butt hinge of the ordinary construction,

Butt hinges may be divided into two classes, called, respectively, by the trade the tight and the loose. The latter, from their superior excellence, have, of late years, almost entirely superseded the former; but they are still defective in some respects, for they have, heretofore, never been made capable, so far as my knowledge extends, of being applied indifferently to either side of a door or window, but are invariably sold in sets, one for the right and the other for the left hand side. This is a manifest inconvenience to the mechanic, as well as a great disadvantage to the trade, for it obliges the merchant to keep on hand a much larger stock of hinges than would be necessary were this difficulty removed, besides the loss of time occasioned both to himself and the one who uses them by mistakes in matching. It is manifest, therefore, that a hinge capable of being applied indifferently to either side of a door or window' would be a great benefit to the community. This desideratum I have attained at a cost to the manufacturer very little, if any, greater than that of the hinge heretofore in use, and my invention consists in providing the upper wing of the hinge, or that which is applied to the door or shutter, with two eyes for the insertion of the pin on the lower wing instead of having one only, as has heretofore been t-he case; the said eyes being attached to the wing parallel to each other; one being on each side of, and equidistant from a line passing through the center of the wing and parallel to the sides thereof; by which method of construction the hinge is rendered capable of acting either as a right or a left hinge with equal eiectiveness.

My invention consists in countersinking the holes, through which the screws or bolts, which secure a hinge to its seat or stile, pass, on both sides of the wing or flap; which device is highly essential in a right and left hinge, as, otherwise, when the hinge Iwas reversed the head of the screw or other fastening would protrude, and prevent the hinge from closing.

In the accompanying drawings A, represents the flap or wing which is secured to the stile or frame, and B, that which is secured to the door or shutter. The flap A is constructed very much like that of the ordinary hinge, except that its round and pin (a) are in the same plane with the flap instead -of being one one side thereof, as in the hinges heretofore constructed. This distinction is clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The flap B instead of being provided with one socket placed on one side of the plane of the hinge, as in the hinges heretofore made, is furnished with two such sockets (b, b) which are cast, or otherwise secured, upon the flap in such manner as to lie parallel to each other, on each side of, and equidistant from the plane of the hinge. This device, and its difference from the ordinary hinge is clearly shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6. The above figures also represent another valuable feature of my invention; which feature is not confined to hinges of the construction shown by me, but is equally applicable and essential to right and left hinges of any form; and consists in countersinking the screw holes (c) through which the screws or bolts which secure the flaps to the stiles pass, on each side of the flap instead of on one side only, as has heretofore been the case.

Fig. l represents the hinge as it appears when secured to that side of a door which is on the right of a person entering the room; the side shown being that which lies next the woodwork and forms the outer side of the hinge when closed; as in Fig. 5. When the door is hung on this side the pin a is inserted into the socket 6, and the hinge operates exactly like one of the ordinary construction.

Then the door is to be hung upon the left side the pin is inserted into the socket b', as shown in Fig. 2, when the door will open with equal facility on that side. In this figure the same side of the hinge is shown as in Fig. l, but the faces are reversed, this side now forming the inner face of the hinge, or that farthest from the Wood, instead of the outer face, as in Fig. 1.

It is but rarely, if ever, necessary in this description of hinge, for the flaps to open wider than the position shown in Fig. 4; which movement is suflicient to permit a door to describe a semi-circle, when it is usually stopped by abutting against the wall.

If the screw holes were only countersunk on one face of the flap, as shown in Fig. 6, it is evident that when the hinge is changed from one side to the other the heads of the screws by which the hinge is secured to its seat would protrude and prevent the hinge from closing, and in all probability, break it.

As the details of the construction and operation of my improved hinge differ in no respect, except in those above enumerated, from butt hinges heretofore in use, and as such details are well known to all skillful manufacturers of hinges any further reference to them is deemed unnecessary here.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A loose butt hinge with a changeable axis, to adapt it to being used on the right or left hand.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GEO. H. FAYMAN.

Witnesses WM. D. BALDWIN, JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD. 

